In principle the EU's new rules on GMOs allow member states to opt out of GMO crops and foods, writes Mary Dobbs. But they can only do so on very limited grounds, and in a consistent and non-discriminatory way. Being GM-free may be a lot harder than some countries, and campaigners, suppose.
… a high level of dependency by national producers on GM feed. Dilemma time This adds … to a dilemma surrounding specific products produced nationally with GM counterparts produced outside the EU. Rapeseed is an …
Plastic is ubiquitous around the world's oceans, writes Lesley Henderson, but although it's visible from space, it can be surprisingly elusive in the water - as she heard from Jo Ruxton, producer of the investigative documentary 'A Plastic Ocean'. Solutions to this growing hazard have also proved elusive to date, hence the film's strong focus on action: educational, cultural and legal.
… in the water - as she heard from Jo Ruxton, producer of the investigative documentary 'A … my research I recently spoke to the movie's producer, former BBC Blue Planet producer Jo Ruxton. She discusses the film, …
Why don’t we have any proper system of environmental law?
… which they could release. If they wanted to produce more than their cap, they would have to buy the right to produce extra carbon. Punishment States give … with an asset - a hypothetical entitlement to produce greenhouse gases - which they can sell …
New proposals on land reform in Scotland are a mixed bag, writes Craig Bayne: some good, some bad, and some downright ugly. Leading that last category is the failure to tackle offshore land ownership in tax haven shell companies, and force disclosure of the real landowners.
… exactly what was needed and exactly what they produced. The group recently published their … and bold thinking, it was now up to them to produce some radical and bold legislation. But … Land Reform (Scotland) Act that was finally produced, although containing a lot to be …
The EU Court has made a landmark judgement we should all be glad of, writes Tess Crean, firming up our right to know when products contain chemicals known to be seriously damaging to health. Now we must make sure that reluctant regulators step up to the mark.
… chemicals are all around us, and are used to produce many everyday items like bottles, … arises when several articles are combined to produce another, bigger article. Handlebar … out, if suppliers from outside the EU want to produce large quantities of their articles for …
The government's policies on climate, energy and industry are not merely stupid, writes Alan Simpson. The repeated cuts to renewables and energy efficiency, combined with limitless largesse to fossil fuels, has reached the point of insanity in the face of the UK's legal obligations and the growing climate crisis. Only we, the people, can end the madness.
… The Met Office warns that we have already produced over 1C of global warming . The World … with high energy bills." Europe's biggest 'producer' economy - Germany - worked out how …
Mexico's tourist resort of Cancún has just lost one of its greatest natural riches, writes Miguel Rivas: 57 hectares of species rich mangrove forest, bulldozed in a massive overnight attack by property developers in league with local officials. But people power can still win the battle and see the Tajamar mangroves restored.
… jobs and the income this new resort would produce. But they ignored the mangroves' … (CONABIO) estimates that mangroves produce about US$37,500 per hectare per year …
We, the signatories of this declaration, are calling on the European Union (EU) to exclude bioenergy from its next Renewable Energy Directive (RED), and thereby stop direct and indirect subsidies for renewable energy from biofuels and wood-burning.
… shows that, especially when bioenergy is produced and used on a large scale, it tends … a sustainable energy option, but only when produced on a small-scale basis for local …
The impact of fracking on communities and ecosystems demands a complete rethink of the human relationship with nature, writes Shannon Biggs. Nature has rights - and this must be reflected in our laws.
… in its fissures. In the USA this technique produces 300,000 barrels of natural gas each … of gallons of toxic waste water that are produced by fracking cannot be processed by …
Next week, EU governments will vote on whether to re-authorise the weedkiller glyphosate, judged by IARC to be a probable human carcinogen, writes Molly Scott Cato. The disgraceful shenanigans of the Commission and the European Food Safety Agency to date provide a clear example of the EU and member states conspiring with corporations, against citizens.
… glyphosate is always used with additives to produce a herbicide, as is the case for … sustainable and healthy agriculture that can produce the safe food we need without damaging …
Naomi Salmon argues that human rights law can - and should - have a crucial role in the fight to green our food systems ...
… upon the sustainability of the system that produces and supplies our food. To put it … consumer access to regionally and locally produced foods; stronger food education in … conditions for the agricultural workers who produce many of the popular but controversy …
The 'war on drugs' is presented as a necessary battle against social evils, writes Benjamin Ramm. But from the Andes to the Caribbean, prohibition has criminalised both religious and cultural expression. And it's a war that is strictly for the global poor: people in Colorado can grow pot - so why not Colombians?
… implemented: the Netherlands is a leading producer of illegal narcotics, but it is …
More than 25 million Americans live within an 'oil train blast zone', writes Ralph Nader. But as volumes of tar sands and shale oil carried by train soar, the oil cars identified as a 'substantial danger to life, property, and the environment' in 1991 remain in use. We must ban those dangerous railcars - and put an end to all 'extreme oil'.
… are using fracking and tar sands mining to produce crude in remote areas of the US and …
Doima, a small town in the Colombian highlands, is on the front line of battle against a giant government-backed gold mine that would fill a nearby valley hundreds of metres deep in over a billion tonnes of mine waste. Hal Rhoades met Mariana Goméz Soto, an activist in Doima's campaign to defeat the mine project.
… Doima sits) 'Colombia's Pantry' because we produce so much food there. The land is …
The uprooting and cutting down of over a million olive and fruit trees in occupied Palestine since 1967 is an attack on a symbol of life, and on Palestinian culture and survival, writes Dr. Cesar Chelala. A grave crime under international humantarian law, the arboricide is also contrary to Jewish religious teachings.
Destruction of Palestinian olive trees is a monstrous crime Dr Cesar Chelala | 7th November 2015 Comment Middle East Farming Forests Law Human Rights War olive-tree-woman-cut.jpg The uprooting and …
MEPs vote today on proposals to cut air pollution by setting up an independent EU monitoring body to ensure that a scandal like Dieselgate never happens again, writes Keith Taylor. However fears are growing that Brexit promises the UK a bonfire of environmental laws including those on air pollution. We need a strong, new Clean Air Act now!
… laboratory tests into thinking their cars produced much lower levels of nitrogen oxide …
Campaigners who dared confront the might of the US's nuclear weapons establishment, in the process revealing the chronic insecurity of its facilities, are paying a heavy price, writes Michael Edwards. But their strength, serenity and joy in the face of brutal injustice brings hope to the world for a just and peaceful future.
… to the plant - far in excess of the estimates produced at their trial. Rice, who received …
President Obama will shortly be on his way to India. In this Open Letter, Vandana Shiva invites him to join in securing the essential human freedoms to seeds and food - and to set aside any plans to pressure India into changing its laws to allow the corporate domination of life.
… that further breeding will be necessary to produce melons that are actually protected … sow, resow, exchange, share or sell his farm produce including seed of a variety protected …
On the final day of the trial of Caroline Lucas and other anti-fracking protestors, we ask - what about human rights? Entirely neglected by the government in its desperate drive to frack, they ought to trump all other policy considerations.
… and local earthquakes, such as the tremor produced by Cuadrilla in Blackpool in April …
Little publicised government plans to 'reform' court costs are intended to foreclose access to environmental justice for all but the wealthiest individuals and communities, writes Paul Mobbs. Meanwhile cuts to agencies and regulators will make it ever harder for them to do their jobs - making public participation in environmental protection all the more important.
… and Countryside Link , no evidence has been produced by the Department of Justice to … what the Government's policy is likely to produce is more direct action to prevent …
This autumn the Monsanto Tribunal will assemble experts from around the world to set out the evidence against the global mega-corporation, which will stand accused of monstrous 'crimes' against people and the environment. The Tribunal's verdict will not be legally binding - this time. But on a future occasion, it may be.
Holding Monsanto to account: the People's Tribunal Heidi Chow | 4th August 2016 Comment Corporations Law Pollution Toxics Pesticides Ecocide vietnam-defoliation-cut.jpg This autumn the Monsanto …
Just as the UK Government is stirring up public anger against human rights, writes Anna Grear, its fast-track development of shale gas and oil shows that we need these legal protections more than ever. A new report shows how the 'dash to frack' is endangering our most cherished rights - to health, water, security and life.
… failure of the government so far to produce a full, industry-independent and …
A new review of the performance of politically fashionable 'voluntary' approaches to environmental protection demonstrates limited effectiveness, writes Donal McCarthy. Laws and regulations play a vital role in protecting nature and the wider environment - for which voluntarism is no substitute.
… market, in spite of the best efforts of some producers and retailers (e.g. see here ). In …
A Pennsylvania seed library stands accused of 'agri-terrorism' over alleged breaches of the Seed Act 2004, reports a bemused Kevin Carson. Have USDA and state agriculture departments become the enforcement branch of the agribusiness crime syndicate?
… the so-called 'terminator gene', designed to produce sterile offspring so farmers can't …